Illuma, Singapore

So here's the new kid on the (Bugis) block. :)



Designed by recent Aga Khan Award winners; WOHA Designs, and working together with the renowned German lighting designers Tim and Jan Edler of realities:united; they created this awesome looking lighting pills facade.

But personally, I don't really like the facade. The blinking humongous "pills" looks so un-environmentally friendly, and some say it's a little disturbing. But when I walked in, see the amazing column clad (the orange thingie :D), the sun-filled and extra spacious atrium, and the nice cheap and interesting shops inside, I'm in looove! :D







So what do YOU think about it? :)

Japan's Recent Epidemic : The Thrift Bug

In all the glories of some $15-20 billion worth of Japan's luxury market that's so strong it can breeze through the difficult times of the 70's and the 80's; Japanese people can still buy $100 worth of melons or S$1000 handbags, Louis Vuitton bags or some Hermès scarves. This very fact makes luxury products in Japan seems almost like a mass market.

But not anymore.

Nowadays, seems like more and more Japanese are getting in touch with their senses and getting so big on cost saving, even the umbrella sales went up because most people don't want to spend their money on taxis and prefer to walk in the rain.

Which is environmentally friendly and I support that very much. :)


Read more of this very interesting article in the NY Times

Orchard Central, Singapore

I've been wanting to write about Orchard Central, since my last visit a couple of weeks ago, but still haven't got round to actually did it. But now my long awaited holiday is here, so I guess I can spare sometime to write a story about my visit to this Singapore's first "Vertical Mall", as how they put it in all of the publication about this particular mall.


Pardon my ignorance, but this is the first time I heard of that term. And my first reaction was, huh? I thought most buildings nowadays are built to be vertical? But turns out that this "Vertical" terms are referring to the 11 floors entirely dedicated for this mall. Quite impressive, considering walking around a 4th storey mall all day has worn me out, let alone this one with 11 floors?! Geez..

Anyway, I decided to like this mall. Because :

1. It has a very generous set cozy seatings, practically everywhere within the lower levels (from ground floor up to the 3rd floor, CMIIW). No picture here, sorry, you just have to go and see for yourself then. :)
2. I love the design for their 8th level (the High Life cluster); designed to look very industrial, and looked very much like Super Potato design. But I still haven't found further info on who's the designer for this 8th floor. But the entire mall was designed by DP Architects of Singapore.

3. The variety of shops. It's definitely planned for young people (modern working urbanites as they put it, sounds so cool is it? :D) in middle to middle-high range market (ME. Yay! :D).
4. Contemporary art sculptures seems to be scattered along the mall, which is a real feast for my sore eyes.


The downside is, most of the corridors leading to the stores are maze-like, and amazingly narrow for a mall (less than 2m wide). But being an open-minded-middle-ranged-28-yo-woman, I didn't mind at all. I'm used to it. Have I not scouring the narrow corridors of Bugis Village, Chatuchak Market, Mustafa Centre, even the crowded and sometimes wet corridors of Melawai with joy? :D It's part of the excitement I should say. To find some hidden treasures along the narrow corridors. :D


Another interesting thing to point out is the variety of design. Is it supposed to reflect the joyful mix of the urban life? Maybe. See the sample below on the ceiling design.


But all in all, it's a nice experience. And I would definitely pick this mall (and Plaza Singapura) as my ultimate destination whenever I went to Orchard. :)

Journey to the Crocs Mega Sale 2009

Name of venue : EXPO Singapore, Hall 4
Address : 1 Expo Drive, #01-01 Singapore 486150
How to go here: Take MRT to Expo MRT Station (CG1), Green Line. Veeery easy ;)
Attraction : usually, ANY kind of sale, but for now, of course, the Crocs Mega Sale

PS : I just know that EXPO MRT Station was designed by Sir Norman Foster. Ha! :D How cool is that?!?

Reminiscing my first encounter w/ Crocs, is when I'm on a quest- in search of the perfect footwear -since I walked practically everywhere. I definitely wanted a plastic shoe, so I would no longer worry about how my expensive leather shoe got heart-wrenching scratches from over-walked or falling apart due to soaking by rain water. Now 500m distant is nothing on me. ;)

And today is the big day. I went to the sale. Its the HUGE annual Crocs Sale (yaayyy!!) here in Singapore, happening on 22-24 May 09 and I hope it wouldn't be as crazy and disorganized as the one in Jakarta.

On the bus I met this old lady with purple cotton-candy like hair, purple blouse in flower pattern and I swear she smells like candy!


So ...

13.20, I joined the queu line at already 154m length (1.5 row of the length hall + a few more metres in front of the hall *yes, I am that bored*)



13.52, I finally went into the sale hall, did a few rounds of waiting digging trying and browsing ..





15.31, no queu at all at cash payment. Even on my way out, already there's no queu to enter. But then for sure all the nice models and the common sizes are already wiped out. But who knows, maybe tomorrow they will open new sets of boxes filled with nice models, reasonable color and normal human adult sizes.



But all in all, I think this sale is quite okay. The queue was bearable, the discount was significant, I got a nice shoe, hubby got what he wants although in another color, plus an extra sandal. :)



A tip for me and anybody else who wants to come to such sale next year (if Crocs still exist, that is), do come at the earliest, 1st day of sale, right at the starting hour if possible. It will took quite an effort (e.g. take a day off from work), but it will definitely worth it. :P